NGC 5556 is a barred spiral galaxy about 57 million light-years away in the constellation Hydra. This image reveals a subtle central bar and a flocculent spiral pattern with arms that fragment and fork as they extend outward—giving the galaxy a loosely structured, almost turbulent appearance.
Bright magenta-pink emission regions are scattered throughout the disk, especially along the lower and left arms, marking active zones of star formation. The warm, yellowish glow of the central bulge contrasts with the cooler blue hues of the outer arms, highlighting the presence of both old and young stellar populations.
Despite the irregular arms, there’s no visible tidal distortion—NGC 5556 appears dynamically stable, evolving in relative isolation. The surrounding field is rich with background galaxies, including edge-on spirals and faint ellipticals, adding depth and scale to the scene.
With a physical diameter of roughly 61,000 light-years, NGC 5556 is slightly smaller than the Milky Way.
Imaged in LRGB on my Planewave CDK 1000 at Observatorio El Sauce, Chile.
Image acquisition and processing: Mike Selby